Campaign Phone #
9202170911
Campaign Phone
9202170911
Education
Academy of Art University, San Francisco M.A. California State University, Sacramento B.A. USC -Fellowship on health Reporting: Annenberg School For Communication and Journalism
Personal Pronouns
She, Her
My priorities for office are addressing the issues that impact us all, both Democrat and Republican. These include ensuring women's reproductive rights are protected, not taken away; our soil and water are tested for PFAS and cleanup is paid for by the polluters, not the taxpayers; that public education is funded, not cut and politicized; and that working families have access to affordable childcare, and are not forced to choose between working and caring for their children. These are basic necessities and they continue to go unaddressed in the state legislature.
I’m a veteran journalist of over 30 years. I’ve seen behind the scenes how these issues impact women and men across the country and right here in Wisconsin. I’ve won four Emmys and multiple awards for political reporting. I’ve never had a goal of entering politics, but we need representatives that listen to their constituents and address the issues that impact them. The people of Wisconsin are frustrated and I’m one of them.
Lack of affordable housing is the most pressing housing-related issue. Not only is housing a basic necessity, but the lack of affordable housing is a huge drag on our state’s economy. Employers are in dire need of workers and working families can’t find housing where the jobs are located. This disconnect has been growing for years and will continue to get worse if it’s not addressed.
We have a lot of aging housing that needs updating before it will be suitable for families to live in and commercial property that could be converted to residential. Fully funding Gov. Evers Workforce Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program in tandem with expanding WHEDA loans would be a good place to start. It would help working families, employers, and reduce the drag on the state’s economy.
As I stated earlier, reproductive rights are a top issue for me. If elected, I will vote to ensure Wisconsin women have safe and legal access to contraception, IVF, and abortion. Additionally, I will vote to accept the Federal Funds to expand Medicaid which will increase access to healthcare services for Wisconsinites. Wisconsin is one of 10 states that is refusing to accept these Federal Funds and it has cost Wisconsin taxpayers over 2 billion dollars so far. Not only does this prevent access to health care services for Wisconsinites, it's fiscally irresponsible.
Two of the most critical challenges Wisconsin public schools continue to face are special education and mental health. Wisconsin ranks last in the nation in special education. Last! We simply do not have enough special education teachers and the ones we do have are leaving for states with more competitive compensation.
Wisconsin is also facing a staff shortage of mental health professionals. One in five school-aged children faces mental health challenges, yet the staff needed to address this is well below the recommended level. On top of these challenges, a sizable percentage of educational tax dollars is being used as vouchers for private schools that have neither transparency nor accountability to the taxpayers.
These challenges could largely be addressed by ensuring there is a consistent inflationary adjustment per pupil, repealing Act 10, and making sure private schools that accept vouchers operate with transparency and accountability to the taxpayers who fund them.
For more than a decade, Wisconsin was one of the most heavily gerrymandered states in the nation. It was so heavily gerrymandered that it was often referred to as ‘Swiss cheese’, with some constituents in areas completely detached from the rest of their districts. This type of gerrymandering is intentional and it disenfranchises voter voices.
Fortunately, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court has ruled these maps unconstitutional and, earlier this year, Gov. Evers signed into law new, fair maps that will help ensure fair representation for Wisconsin voters.
Campaign Phone #
(920)475-0090
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